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Sir George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, 13th Baron de Clifford, 13th Lord of Skipton, (8 August 155830 October 1605), was an English peer, naval commander, and
courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official ...
of Queen Elizabeth I of England. He was notable at court for his
jousting Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponent ...
, at the
Accession Day Tilt The Accession Day tilts were a series of elaborate festivities held annually at the court of Elizabeth I of England to celebrate her Accession Day, 17 November, also known as Queen's Day. The tilts combined theatrical elements with jousting, ...
s, which were highlights of the year at court. Two famous survivals, his
portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...
by Nicholas Hilliard (c. 1590, now National Maritime Museum) and a garniture of
Greenwich armour Greenwich armour is the plate armour in a distinctively English style produced by the Royal Almain Armoury founded by Henry VIII in 1511 in Greenwich near London, which continued until the English Civil War. The armoury was formed by imported maste ...
(now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art), reflect this important part of his life. In contrast, he neglected his estates in the far north of England, and left a long succession dispute between his heirs.


Early life and wardship

George Clifford was born on 8 August 1558 at
Brougham Castle Brougham Castle (pronounced ) is a medieval building about south-east of Penrith, Cumbria, England. The castle was founded by Robert I de Vieuxpont in the early 13th century. The site, near the confluence of the rivers Eamont and Lowther, h ...
in Westmorland, the son and heir of
Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland (1517 – January 1570) was a member of the Clifford family, seated at Skipton Castle from 1310 to 1676.Charles Mosley, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington ...
(d. January 1570) by his second wife, Anne Dacre, daughter of
William Dacre, 3rd Baron Dacre William Dacre, 7th Baron Greystock, later 3rd Baron Dacre of Gilsland (''ca.'' 1493 – 18 November 1563) was an English peer, a Cumberland landowner, and the holder of important offices under the Crown, including many years' service as Warden ...
. The
Barons de Clifford Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...
, a junior branch of the Clifford feudal barons of Clifford of
Clifford Castle Clifford Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Clifford which lies 2.5 miles to the north-east of Hay-on-Wye in the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, England (). It was the ''caput'' of the feudal barony of Clifford, a Marcher Lordship (owing ...
in Herefordshire, had established themselves in the late 13th century at
Appleby Castle Appleby Castle is in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland overlooking the River Eden (). It consists of a 12th-century castle keep which is known as Caesar's Tower, and a mansion house. These, together with their associated buildings, are set ...
in Westmorland, in the north of England. George succeeded as
Earl of Cumberland The title of Earl of Cumberland was created in the Peerage of England in 1525 for the 11th Baron de Clifford.''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press'', 2004. It became extinct in 1643. The dukedom of Cumberland was c ...
and Baron de Clifford when his father died in 1570, leaving George a minor, aged 12. His valuable wardship and marriage was granted by Queen Elizabeth I to Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, KG (died 1585), who in 1577, married George off to his daughter Lady Margaret Russell (1560–1616). The marriage had been arranged in their infancy by their respective fathers, which later did not prove to be a happy one.


Life at court

Life at court meant that George spent an increasing amount of time in southern England, away from his family's estates. As a result,
Brougham Castle Brougham Castle (pronounced ) is a medieval building about south-east of Penrith, Cumbria, England. The castle was founded by Robert I de Vieuxpont in the early 13th century. The site, near the confluence of the rivers Eamont and Lowther, h ...
, one of his properties in the north, was neglected and abandoned. Although in 1589, he built the original Londesborough Hall, an Elizabethan country house located in
East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to ...
. George's fellow courtier commented on his northern upbringing, writing to the steward of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, that he disliked Clifford as "the rudest Earll by reson of his northerly bringen up". George Clifford was described as a man of great personal beauty, strong and active, accomplished in all knightly exercises, splendid in his dress, and of romantic valour. On the other hand, he was a gambler and a spendthrift, a faithless husband, and later, for several years before his death, was separated from his wife.


Queen's Champion and KG

Clifford rose in the world as an accomplished jouster, and became Queen Elizabeth's second Champion on the retirement of Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley. A
portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...
by Nicholas Hilliard, around 1590, commemorates the appointment, showing him in tilting attire with the Queen's glove, set in diamonds, pinned as a plume to his hat as a sign of her favour. The Queen made him a Knight of the Garter in 1592, and he sat as a Peer in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. Clifford was also involved in the formation of the East India Company.


Naval career

Clifford was a man of irregular life, and having run through a great part of his very handsome property, seized on the opportunity offered by the war with Spain to re-establish himself. In 1588, he commanded the galleon '' Elizabeth Bonaventure'' in the Anglo-Spanish War, during which he had had some success. His portrait was included in the
Armada Tapestries The Armada Tapestries were a series of ten tapestries that commemorated the defeat of the Spanish Armada. They were commissioned in 1591 by the Lord High Admiral, Howard of Effingham, who had commanded the Royal Navy against the Armada.Phillis Rog ...
. He led and invested in a number of expeditions, but many were turned back due to storms or lack of prizes. His first success was an expedition to the Azores in 1589, taking a number of Portuguese and Spanish prizes. He suffered losses in the Battle of Berlengas Islands in 1591, and in 1592 he helped to prepare an expedition with
Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...
, which led to the Battle of Flores, and the capture of the richly laden Portuguese ship,
Madre de Deus ''Madre de Deus'' (''Mother of God''; also called ''Mãe de Deus'' and ''Madre de Dios'') was a Portuguese ocean-going Carrack, renowned for her capacious cargo and provisions for long voyages. She was returning from her second voyage East un ...
, off Flores Island in the Azores. At the end of 1593, Clifford financed three ships for a further expedition to the Azores, which resulted in the
action of Faial The action of Faial or the Battle of Faial Island was a naval engagement that took place on 22–23 June 1594 during the Anglo-Spanish War in which the large and rich 2,000 ton Portuguese carrack '' Cinco Chagas'' was destroyed by an English fl ...
between the English and a joint Iberian/Portuguese fleet. Clifford later commissioned the building of his own ship, the 38-gun ''
Scourge of Malice ''Scourge of Malice'' is the third studio album by the symphonic black metal band Graveworm, released in 2001 through Last Episode. Their cover of Iron Maiden's Fear of the Dark has been famously wrongly credited to Cradle of Filth or Children o ...
''. During the Battle of San Juan in 1598, he achieved fame for having briefly captured '' Fort San Felipe del Morro'', the citadel protecting San Juan, Puerto Rico. Clifford and his force of men had arrived in Puerto Rico on 15 June 1598, but by November of that year had fled the island due to severe bouts of
dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
which started to plague his men. Clifford was often spoken of as a sort of nautical
Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Western ...
, a title curiously unsuitable to the courtier, gambler, and buccaneer, in all of which guises history presents him. His love of adventure was strong, and he staked his money on the success of his cruises in much the same spirit that he did on the speed of his horses or the turn of his dice. And he spared his body no more than his purse. His courage was unimpeachable, and the temper which he showed in times of difficulty, won him both credit and popularity. All the great wealth he gained from his buccaneering, he lost in jousting and horse racing, and was eventually obliged to sell his inherited lands.


Marriage, children and succession dispute

In 1577, George married Lady Margaret Russell (1560–1616), a daughter of his guardian Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford and Margaret St John. Earl Russell had acquired his valuable wardship, as well as the right to marry George off to whomsoever he chose. By his wife Margaret, George had the following children: *Robert Clifford (21 September 158524 May 1591), died young before the age of 5. *Francis Clifford (15848 December 1589), died young before the age of 5. *
Lady Anne Clifford Lady Anne Clifford, Countess of Dorset, Pembroke and Montgomery, ''suo jure'' 14th Baroness de Clifford (30 January 1590 – 22 March 1676) was an English peeress. In 1605 she inherited her father's ancient barony by writ and became ''suo jure'' ...
, '' suo jure'' 14th Baroness de Clifford (30 January 159022 March 1676), his daughter and sole heiress, and wife of
Richard Sackville, 3rd Earl of Dorset Richard Sackville, 3rd Earl of Dorset (18 March 1589 – 28 March 1624) was the eldest surviving son of Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset, by his first wife, Margaret, a daughter of the Duke of Norfolk. Born at Charterhouse, London, Sackvill ...
. Clifford's two sons, Robert and Francis, had both died young, before the age of 5, thus his only surviving child and daughter Anne became his sole heiress. She inherited the title
Baron de Clifford Baron de Clifford is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1299 for Robert de Clifford (''c.''1274–1314), feudal baron of Clifford in Herefordshire, feudal baron of Skipton in Yorkshire and feudal baron of Appleby in Westmo ...
''suo jure'', having been created by writ in 1299 to be able to descend in the female line. She also inherited £15,000. The vast majority of his estate, however, Clifford bequeathed to his brother
Francis Clifford, 4th Earl of Cumberland Francis Clifford, 4th Earl of Cumberland (15594 January 1641) was a member of the Clifford family which held the seat of Skipton from 1310 to 1676. He was the second son of Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland and Anne Dacre and inherited hi ...
, who also inherited the earldom, which by the letters patent of its creation was precluded from passing to a female, as was usual. After lengthy litigation, Clifford's daughter Anne won much of the land, including Brougham and Appleby castles. ''The Great Picture'' is a large triptych group portrait, measuring 8 ft 5" high and 16 ft 2" wide, commissioned in 1646 by Lady Anne Clifford, attributed to Jan van Belcamp (1610–1653). It formerly hung in Appleby Castle and is now displayed at the
Abbot Hall Art Gallery Abbot Hall Art Gallery is a museum and gallery in Kendal, England. Abbot Hall was built in 1759 by Colonel George Wilson, the second son of Daniel Wilson of Dallam Tower, a large house and country estate nearby. It was built on the site of the o ...
in
Kendal, Cumbria Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of t ...
. It depicts Lady Anne as a girl, at the left, and as a mature woman, at the right. The central panel shows her parents and her small brothers. The painting is replete with significant elements, referring to her life and to her succession to her paternal inheritance, gained after a lengthy legal dispute, only settled in 1617. The House of Lords postponed the hearing of the matter of the barony, which remained dormant until 1678, when Nicholas Tufton, 3rd Earl of Thanet, was allowed to claim the peerage and become the fifteenth Baron de Clifford.


Death and burial

George Clifford died on 30 October 1605 at the duchy house of the Savoy in London. His body was embalmed and buried in the family vault at Skipton Castle in Craven, Yorkshire, his family seat, where a black marble altar tomb to his memory was erected by his daughter, Lady Anne Clifford. Also, his chest tomb monument survives in Holy Trinity church,
Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River A ...
, adjacent to the castle. It is profusely decorated with heraldry, showing the arms of Clifford quartering
Vipont Vipont (''alias'' Vieuxpont) is the name of a prominent family in the history of Westmorland. According to Thomas the name originated in France before 1066 as Vieuxpont ("Old Bridge"), Latinized to ''de Vetere Ponte'' ("from the Old Bridge"), ...
(the feudal barons of Appleby, from whom the Cliffords inherited
Appleby Castle Appleby Castle is in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland overlooking the River Eden (). It consists of a 12th-century castle keep which is known as Caesar's Tower, and a mansion house. These, together with their associated buildings, are set ...
and vast estates in Westmorland), impaling the arms of Russell as well as the wives of Clifford's paternal predecessors: Beauchamp, de Roos, Percy, Dacre, Berkeley, Neville, etc.


Suit of armour

George Clifford's tournament armour survives and is considered the finest surviving
garniture A garniture is a number or collection of any matching, but usually not identical, decorative objects intended to be displayed together. Frequently made of metal, ormolu, often with gilded wood stands, porcelain (both European and Asian), garnitu ...
of the Tudor period. As
Queen's Champion The Honourable The King's (or Queen's) Champion is an honorary and hereditory office in the Royal Household of the British sovereign. The champion's original role at the coronation of a British monarch was to challenge anyone who contested the ...
, Clifford's armour has been unrivaled in beauty. It was made at the
Greenwich armour Greenwich armour is the plate armour in a distinctively English style produced by the Royal Almain Armoury founded by Henry VIII in 1511 in Greenwich near London, which continued until the English Civil War. The armoury was formed by imported maste ...
y established by
King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...
, and a drawing of it is included in the Jacob Album, a book of designs for 29 different armours for various Elizabethan gentlemen. Clifford's armour, being part of a garniture, includes many pieces of exchange, including a grandguard, an extra helmet, a shaffron, and several lance guards. These extra pieces allowed the wearer to modify his armour for different forms of tournament combat. The armour is of
blued steel Bluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust using a black oxide coating. It is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. Bluing involves an electrochemical conversion coatin ...
and is etched and inlaid with elaborate gilded designs, incorporating columns of alternating fleurs-de-lis and Tudor roses, with the letter E for Queen Elizabeth I. It is on display in the Armor Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, next to the two suits of armour of
Sir James Scudamore Sir James Scudamore (also spelled Skidmore, Skidmur, Skidmuer or Scidmore; 1568–1619) was a gentleman usher at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Born at Holme Lacy, Herefordshire, he was the eldest son of John Scudamore, Custos Rotulorum of H ...
, which were also made at the Greenwich armoury. The design of the New York armour is very different to the one he wears in the famous full-length
portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...
by Nicolas Hilliard, which Hilliard perhaps invented.


In literature

In
Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...
's novel '' Orlando: A Biography'', the "Earl of Cumberland" discovers Orlando and his lover asleep amongst his cargo and believes them to be ghosts sent to punish him for buccaneering. In his terror the Earl vows to mend his ways and, in repentance, founds a row of
almshouses An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...
. Although not explicitly stated, the Earl referred to must be the 3rd Earl, due to the relevant action in the novel occurring shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth I. File:Armor Garniture of George Clifford (1558–1605), Third Earl of Cumberland MET DT259974.jpg, The full armour in New York Nicholas Hilliard 003.jpg, A full-body portrait of Clifford File:George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland by William Rogers.jpg, Engraved portrait by William Rogers File:Arms of Clifford.svg, Arms of de Clifford: ''Chequy or and azure, a fesse gules''


Ancestry


References


vieuxpont.co.uk
Retrieved 28 October 2007 ;Bibliography * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Cumberland, George Clifford, 3rd Earl Of 1558 births 1605 deaths 16th-century Royal Navy personnel 3 Knights of the Garter Lord-Lieutenants of Cumberland English privateers Lord-Lieutenants of Northumberland Lord-Lieutenants of Westmorland 16th-century English nobility 17th-century English nobility
George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
High Sheriffs of Westmorland English people of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) Barons de Clifford